Part Twelve

'Extra Teacher Recourses'

...back to... Ed Pack Introduction Page

9. Extra Teacher Resources

“Language Development Through Themes: Pirates”……………………..………Featured Below

“The Theme Book of Pirates”……………………………………………….....……Featured Below

Poems of Pirates and the Seas………………………………………….....………Featured Below

The Study of a Part………………………………………………………………...…Featured Below

Classroom Drama……………………………………………………………………Featured Below

Pirate Unit Plans………………………………………………………………………Additional Teacher Resources Page

Pirate Theme Writing Pages…………………………………………………………Additional Teacher Resources Page

“Sea Turtles……………………………………………………………………………go to... www.readinga-z.com

“Tommy Goes to the Ocean”…………………………………………………………go to... www.readinga-z.com

Unknown (2002). Language Development Through Themes: Pirates. Department of Education: Perth, Western Australia

Charles, C. & Heard, A. (unknown). The Theme Book of Pirates. Prim-Ed Publishing Pty Ltd

Goldberg, M. (1974) Children’s Theatre: A Philosophy and a Method. Prentice Hall Inc: New Jersey

Poems of Pirates and the Sea

WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS by Shel Silverstein. (Harper & Row, 1974)

· “Captain Hook”, p.18

· “Pirate Captain Jim”, p.144

A LIGHT IN THE ATTIC by Shel Silverstein (Harper & Row, 1974)

· “The Pirate”, p.49

· “Captain Blackbeard Did What?”, p.104

A BOOK OF AMERICANS by Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benet. (Farrar and Rinehart, 1933)

· “Cotton Mather”, p.23

· “Captain Kidd”, p.25

ONE AT A TIME by David McCord. (Little, Brown and Company, 1977)

· “Song”, p.119

· “Islands in Boston Harbour”, pp.423-424

REMEMBERING AND OTHER POEMS by Myra Cohn Livingston. (Margaret K. McElderry, 1984)

· “The Necklace”, p.18

· “School Play”, p.36

ALL THE SMALL POEMS by Valerie Worth (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1987)

· “Jewels”, p.15

· “Compass”, p.94

PIPING DOWN THE VALLEYS WILD edited by Nancy Larrick. (Dell, 1982)

· “The Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee”, pp.94-95 – by Mildred Plews Meigs

· “Sea Fever”, p.185 – by John Maesfield

The Study of a Part

This is a brief outline of the way in which actors may study their parts. On reading it you may find that it is the process you already use, however, we have found that to many people it is quite new, so we have tried to set it down as simply and clearly as possible, avoiding obscure phraseology.

The Aim

The interpretation of the playwright’s intention.

The actor has to believe in a “theatrical truth”; he has to believe implicitly in what he, as the character, is doing; but it must be large enough to reach the back row with full impact. If it were simply a truth it might not even reach the front row. The actor’s body and voice are specially trained to assist in achieving this largeness of performance.

Inner (mental) and outer (physical) techniques must be welded together in the creation of a performance. While retaining full control of his emotions and actions the actor must ‘live’ the part; as an artist he must be selective in order that he may communicate his performance, in all its aspects, to the best effect.

In everyone there are many different physical and mental characteristics; in some parts the actor must suppress some of these qualities and others, normally latent, to the surface. He must use himself, therefore he must know himself. At the same time he needs to be observant of the world around him, to gain from music, painting, sculpture and writing but above all from other human beings.

Basic Study

· First Impressions and Main Theme

Read the play as though you might have to play any part in it. Note what makes the strongest impression on you, what passages tend to bore you (these will be the ones that will need your greatest skill and attention in study, rehearsal and performance), what problems you see and anything else that might be helpful, at a later stage in study, to bring you back to your first impressions of the play as a whole.

· Your Part

Then study it again with special reference to your own part, seeing how it fits into the general pattern.

· The Background of Your Character

Create a background for your character with the help of the questions set out below; in the early stages of studying this way it is advisable to write it down. When you have created this detailed background and think and feel with your character, start the detailed study necessary to absorb the play.

· Guide for the Creation of Background

These are merely suggestions and you will doubtless find many more questions to ask yourself. Above all, find your answers, as far as you can, from the text of the play and only, after you have done that, add your own imaginative extension.

GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES

- What era is the play set in?

- What are my surroundings? (the actual set or sets, the imagined off stage rooms, the place I work in, etc.)

- What time of year is it?

- What time of day is it?

- What is the weather?

THE CHARACTER

- What is my name, age, class, job?

- Where do I live?

- What sort of family, relations, and friends do I have?

- What is my taste in clothes, music, art, theatre, cinema, books?

- What comments or sidelights on my character are there in the text of the play?

- What is my function in the play, especially in relation to the main theme of the play, either in support of it or as counter-action to emphasise it?

- What are my reactions to the other characters in the play?

- Have I an overwhelming purpose in life?

- Have I a dominant quality in my character, or if not, what are the general qualities?

- Are there any dominant physical characteristics caused by either age, work, or social conditions?

- What, briefly, is my past history?

- What would an average day in my life, in detail, be like?

ENTRANCES

- Why am I entering? (What is my objective?)

- What has occurred, from my point of view, since the last entrance I made and, consequently, how does this affect my objective?

- Where have I come from?

- What mood am I in?

- Do I know the room I am entering?

- Do I know if there is anyone in the room?

- Do I know the people in the room and what is my attitude to them?

EXITS

- Why am I going? (What is my objective?)

- Where am I going?

- What mood am I in?

- Am I going far away or near?

- Have I achieved the purpose for which I entered?

· Detailed Study

Go slowly through the scenes that concern you and study them from the following points of view.

OBJECTIVES

You must be certain of your objective in each scene. You may come on for a scene with one objective and the action of the play will be such as to change your objective or create a fresh one halfway through the scene. As an oversimplified example, your objective in a scene could be “I want to sit in the armchair by the fire and go to sleep” but just as you reach the armchair a telephone rings and, while your main objective may remain the same, a subsidiary objective comes in “I must answer the phone”, etc. To aid this, check each exit and entrance with the background questions. Sometimes, especially in badly written plays, it is difficult to decide on an objective. In these cases one need not be too rigid because one may find, or the producer may suggest, other objectives than those originally decided on in the study, which may be stronger and more stimulating. Do not dither about with six or seven possible objectives, decide on one and work with it.

The better the play, the fewer possible variations of objectives exist, though sometimes they are difficult to get into the concrete form of words, however, once they are found in a well written play they are usually right.

THE LINES

Find out what is important in each sentence, what sentence is important in each scene. This will prevent you from falling into the trap of giving too much emphasis to everything you say, thus missing light and shade. Clarity of thought in all you have to say is essential, but you need to select what is important and what requires emphasis.

Decide to whom you are saying each line and which lines are virtually to yourself as an expression of your own thoughts.

You must understand completely the meaning, purpose and feeling of every line you speak.

You must know why you say these lines.

You must know why one line follows the other.

If there appears to be a complete break or change of thought, you must find a reason for it.

On stage, as in life, you must have continuity of thought.

You must speak your lines with belief in such a way as to make the other characters understand clearly and freshly what you are conveying to them.

You must listen to them freshly (really listen, not just give the effect of listening) until you logically answer with your next line.

Therefore your next line must be the logical result of what has gone before, NOT a sudden waking up at an automatic cue.

MOVES

As you study your lines and character, study the moves at the same time and see that you know the reason for every move so that thought and physical action are clearly linked.

REACTIONS

If you know your exact physical and emotional relationship with the other characters, and understand fully the meaning and intention of all they say, you will find that you react logically and truthfully to all you hear and see.

Many reactions you will find during study, through your growing knowledge of the characters and the situations; however the absolute detail of your reactions cannot be finalised until you discover exactly how the other actors are going to interpret their lines.

CONTRASTS, TEMPOS, CLIMAXES

Never, when studying the detail and planning the shape of the performance, deal with contrasts, tempos, and climaxes for their own sake or their inherent theatrical effectiveness. Justify them by the logic and reason in order that they are theatrically truthful as well as theatrically effective.

VISUAL IMAGES

Let a series of visual images unreel like a film in the mind; they will aid your concentration and help to enrich the performance.

BELIEF

You must believe implicitly in all you do or say.

You must not do or say anything that is outside your belief or sense of truth (here we are speaking of theatrical truth).

If such a belief is difficult (in children’s plays you find fantastic characters) use the magic word “if”: “If this were true, how would I (as the character) behave?”

· Final Study

“LEARNING”

When you have studied the part this way you will find that you have almost learned it – for you will have learned not just the words but the words through reasons.

When going over your part, to consolidate your work NEVER repeat it in a parrot-like way.

Always have a reason for everything you do or say.

If you cannot find a reason ask the producer.

CONSOLIDATION

Finally read the play as a whole again (forgetting the detailed work of your study) and check back onto your original impression of the play. When it becomes habitual to study in this way, much of the study will come as a natural process without the conscious, detailed and practical study outlined here.

But, it is always necessary to see that one is not slacking off and beginning to lapse into working through vague generalisations.

· The work of rehearsal

GENERAL NOTES

1. Punctuality is an absolute essential and everyone should be ready to start work at the stated times. If delayed in getting to rehearsal, please ring the appropriate person at once.

2. Great care should be taken of all scripts issued as they will be used again many times in the future.

3. Always check your own props both on and off stage.

4. Always have a pencil and paper available to take notes down at rehearsal.

5. Wear old clothes or bring something to change into.

RELAXATION AND TENSION

Relaxation is essential in setting, rehearsal and performance. Absolute concentration into the problems of your performance, into the physical action of the play and into each other, will all help to avoid any possible tension caused by nerves, self-consciousness, tiredness or any other reason. Be particularly careful, in the early stages, while you are trying to remember and execute 100 things at once, that you do not tense up and work with unnecessary effort, doing more than you need to.

SETTING THE PLAY

First of all make sure you understand the ground plan or layout of the set; look carefully at the set and costume designs or at the set and costumes.

Do not rush anything. Listen. Give yourself time to understand the moves and write them clearly (in pencil) into your script. If you do not understand anything, ask. Try to give an indication of your characterisation and intentions during the setting (even though vague) so that the other actors will have some idea of how you intend to play each scene and can adjust accordingly. This also helps the producer to see if you are on the right lines and, if not, enables the producer to discuss it with you before you start your detailed study.

THE FOUR PHASES OF REHEARSAL

1. Putting one’s study into execution and adapting and adjusting with fellow actors and producer.

2. Consolidating this work, at the same time incorporating and absorbing the adjustments and adaptations of the first phase.

3. Let yourself flow into the mainstream of the play and in doing so thus discover the weak links, lack of shaping, insufficient emotional control, etc.

4. Consolidation of all detail into the whole. The process, therefore, is one in which the difficult becomes habitual and the habitual easy.

GENERAL NOTES ON REHEARSAL

Don’t try to run before you can walk – in other words, don’t strive for the result. If you try to jump to the top of the ladder, you will fall off; if you go up it step by step, you will reach the top in the end. Rely on your knowledge of your own character, the other characters and the situation to arrive at the necessary emotions. Give yourself time to think. Don’t panic about drying. If you dry, think back to what you, or someone else, have just said and reason out what you, as the character in that situation, would logically say. At all costs stop yourself thinking “What is my next line?” or “What happens next?”

Make sure that your interpretation, worked out during study, is not inflexible, as your detailed reactions must logically rely on what you find the other actors have brought to rehearsal from their study, and you will no doubt have to make many minor and some major adjustments.

Thus, in early rehearsals you will be working somewhat consciously, with all the detail of your study in the forefront of your mind; you will be trying for the first time to execute all you have studied, adapting and adjusting constantly. This painful process has to be dealt with at far greater speed and pressure, owing to insufficient rehearsal time, then it should be. However confused and confusing the process my seem have faith that all this work will crystallise.

Towards the end of rehearsals, on final runs and dress rehearsals, it is necessary, for better or for worse, to forget all the detail of your study and just go ahead and play it. By doing this you will discover your weaknesses, but, at the same time, the detailed study will have had its effect and will be in you and behind your work.

Every detail you have studied will not necessarily come through as such to the audience, or to your fellow actors – but the sum total of your final performance would be far less had you only skimmed the surface or striven purely theatrical effect.

ABSORPTION

Never say to yourself “This is where I am supposed to think so and so”. THINK IT. Work out in detail events offstage leading up to each entrance and go over these events in your mind each time, adding fresh detail and suppositions if, at any point, you find yourself becoming automatic.

“WORD” REHEARSALS

At all word-rehearsals, use them not as “word” rehearsals, but as concentrated “reason” rehearsals in which, each time, you are consolidating your study, strengthening the links in the chain of your continuity of thought and gaining from each other. Never let such a rehearsal become a meaningless repetition of words.

“MOVING IT ON”

Often you will get a note that you seem to be “sitting on it” and you will be asked to “move on it”. This means that you are tending to say each individual line for its own sake, possibly in your effort to give full value to it. Because of this you are losing sight of the direction of the scene as a whole, forgetting your objective and stopping the flow. A good guide to help in “moving it on”, in addition to your consciousness of your objective, is never to feel that anything you say finishes at the end of a speech. Think forward to what you might go on to say if the next person didn’t reply at that moment.

MAKE-UP AND COSTUME

Think about your make-up and check your costume well before the dress rehearsal, and give yourself plenty of time to prepare yourself so that you are ready for the dress rehearsal in ample time. If you have any costume changes see you have them planned and standing by.

INFLUENCE OF AUDIENCE REACTION

Audiences will vary. They can be hilarious, restless, bored, shy and plain dumb. Do not catch their mood. If they are hilarious, tone down your performance a little; if they are shy then intensify the warmth of performance; if they are restless or bored, act with even greater clarity and force, both mentally and physically.

DOING A SCENE – A FEW THINGS TO CONSIDER

· Who is your character? – name, age, sex, social standing, financial standing, family, living conditions, etc. (Your personal history)

· What is your character’s emotional state at the beginning of the scene?

· What has your character been doing immediately before the beginning of the scene?

· What is the weather like and how does this affect your character?

· What is your character’s physical state?

· What is your character’s relationship with the other person in the scene?

· What does your character hope to achieve in this scene? What drives your character? What are your character’s objectives?

· Where is this conversation taking place? What time? Year? Building? Country?

· Is the conversation taking place somewhere familiar to both characters? How does this affect the way you deal with your surroundings?

· How does your character move?

· Does your character have any distinctive quirks of dress/hairstyle/movement?

· How does the character change in the scene? What journey do we see? Where are the changes of thought, the changes of approach? An “angry scene” will become boring if it’s full-on yelling. Find the shifts, the beats.

Ask as many questions as you can to develop your knowledge of the character. The better you know the character, the more you can show us a rounded picture. Own every phrase. Know why your character says what s/he says. Once you’ve done the background work, trust it and allow it to affect your performance. Above all, keep the performance alive and immediate. Don’t try to just recreate yesterday’s inflections of voice and hope that will do the job on its own. Involve yourself in the here-and-now physically, mentally, emotionally and vocally, alert, centred, at your ease, energised.

Classroom Drama

THEATRE TERMS

· Actors: people who perform

· Audience: people watching the actors

· Stage Manager: person who gets the stage ready

· Freeze: stop all activity and listen

· Applause: clapping to show appreciation

· Sound cue: a sound you hear and react to

· Plot: the basic storyline

· Script: a play written down

· Mime: acting without words or sound effects

· Snippet/skit/improv: a short play you make up yourself

· Prop: short for property – an object you use in the performance

· Stage Directions: words written in brackets in a script. You don’t say them you do them

· Setting: where the scene is taking place

HOW TO MAINTAIN DISCIPLINE IN A DRAMA LESSON

· Do not allow put downs or comments

· Insist that students are a good audience

· Be positive

· Be flexible

SOLO WORK

(recommended for Yrs 6&7)

This exercise can be used as a warm-up. It is a quick exercise, which allows focus on each individual class member. The topic is always on an object or animal.

Each performer has to assume a position relevant to the topic. They freeze in that position and can only move when it is their turn to speak. They freeze again on completion of their piece of work. The performer has to say a sentence or two as the object, as if the object could speak.

Suggested topics:

· A road sign

· A library book

· A tree

· Something in the fridge

· A germ

· Something in a pencil case

· An old car

THE MAGIC TOY SHOP

Warm-up: move as the toys in the Toyshop. Focus on each toy.

· Ball · Dancing doll or GI Joe

· Teddy

·Truck Rag doll on chair · · Three tin soldiers ·

Table with a mouse underneath ·

Audience

·Marker at blackboard

1. Two stage managers set the stage as shown on plan. Each of the toys is an actor.

2. Marker chalks twelve marks on the blackboard with one mark underneath the twelve.

3. Announcer says “The Magic Toyshop” and promptly sits.

4. The teacher then reads the following script as a narrator, allowing time for the appropriate actions to take place: All was still and quiet in the Magic Toyshop as the toys waited for the magic hour when thy could have their hour of freedom. They waited for the clock to strike.

5. The teacher beats the tambour slowly twelve times. As this happens the Marker erases each of the twelve marks on the board (responding to the sound cue).

6. The teacher continues the narration: The hour came and they moved around, clicking and whirring and turning and spinning. Clicking and whirring and turning and spinning. Suddenly one of them noticed it was nearly one o’clock so they quickly returned to their places just in time as the clock struck one.

7. The teacher strikes the tambour and the Marker responds by erasing the last chalk mark off the board.

8. The teacher ends the narration with: The next morning the toy shop keeper never knew that any of the toys had ever moved.

9. All the actors and stage crew come to the front of the acting space to bow to the audience.

THE HAUNTED HOUSE

The whole room is used as the stage area and every child is used in this performance. More than one actor can play the parts of portrait, spiders, cats and flowers to ensure every child is used. The two children are the only actors who move around the room. These two children listen to the teacher’s narration, which will indicate to them the objects they inspect. All the objects remain on their given spot but can move their bodies appropriately when they are the focus of the story. They otherwise freeze. The two children forming the swinging doors are the only objects permitted to make a noise. They make a BANG sound as they slam closed on the children’s entrance and exit.

· Suit of armour · · · · · spiders

· ·

· rocking chairs cats ·

· portraits · bear rug

· ·

skeletons in cupboard ·

· Two · Swinging Flowers ·

· Children · Doors ·

The teacher narrates, allowing time for the children’s actions

It was a dark and stormy night when the two children decided to see if the house on the hill was really haunted. They walked up the footpath and pushed open the double doors. They found themselves inside a strange room. They saw some paintings with strange faces and the eyes seemed to follow them around the room as they walked. They went past two rocking chairs, which strangely enough seemed to rock although there was no one sitting in them. They saw a suit of armour shining in the dark and as they got close to it they thought they saw it move. They saw some little spiders and they thought “how cute” until they saw their snapping teeth and horrid eyes. They saw some cats, which arched their backs in a most unfriendly way. They saw two doors and thought it might be a way out so they opened them, but closed them quickly when they saw two skeletons wriggling around. They saw a vase of beautiful flowers and as they sniffed them the flowers died. There was a bear rug on the floor looking soft and fluffy until they bent down to touch it and it growled at them.

That was it. They’d had enough. They rushed out through the double doors – never to return again.

ZOMBIES – THE WALKING DEAD

Preliminary warm-up

Discuss zombies: their use in films, how they supposedly walk and look. Diffuse the scariness.

Explain about sound cues. Introduce the tambour to be used to create the sound cue. Explain that it is 5 beats to get up, 5 beats to walk, and 5 beats to lie down again.

Choose three children to act as zombies. They lie down on their back, side by side, in a line. They are in their old grave and they want to move to their new grave.

The Announcer says the title in a flat, emotionless voice. The teacher then slowly beats the tambour 5 times as the zombies slowly rise, all facing the same way in a line. They raise their arms in front of them and have a fixed look on their face. No laughing from the actors is allowed. On the next beat the zombies commence their slow walk forwards. They stop on the fifth beat. On the next beat the zombies start to lie down on their backs. They should be flat on their backs by the fifth beat.

The teacher should allow a short pause between each beat of five.

The actors form a line facing the audience to take their bow.

SCRIPT WORK

· Each script gives sufficient clues to enable the groups of students to create an interesting piece of work to present to the class.

· Read through the script with the class to sort out any problems with reading.

· Either write one large script and attach it to the wall so that the actors can read it whilst facing the audience or give each actor their own script sheet from which to read.

· Revise the drama rules.

· Allow the class to break up into groups to decide on their parts and to devise a suitable ending to the script given.

· Encourage the actors to face the audience and speak up.

· The whole class works on the same script.

SCRIPT EXAMPLES

Script One

A: Stand-by for launching.

B: Check. Stand-by.

A: Seatbelt on.

B: Check seatbelt.

A: Engine on.

B: Check. Engine on.

A: Commence countdown.

Script Two

A: Caught anything yet?

B: No.

A: I don’t think there are any fish in there any more.

B: Yes there is. There’s a big one. His name is Charlie. I’m waiting for him.

A: Well, I wish you luck. (Walks off)

B: Quick! Help me! It’s Charlie!

Script Three

A: You shouldn’t go in if there’s no one there.

B: He won’t know.

A: But he might find out.

B: How?

A: He might notice something’s different from the way he left it.

B: We’ll be careful.

NOTE: Going through private property opens up other things for discussion.

Script Four

(A walks in and offers each actor some food from a tray which each accepts. This is performed with no speech occurring.)

B: I didn’t expect to be offered food.

C: It’s a bit strange.

D: I think it tastes good.

C: (chokes) I think it’s…(falls)

B and D: POISONED!!!

Script Five

A: Screwdriver.

B: Check, screwdriver. (passes screwdriver to A)

A: Oil.

C: Check, oil. (passes oil container to A)

B: Have you fixed it Master?

A: We shall see…Robot…stand.

Script Six

A: What a climb! I’m exhausted!

B: No time to rest. Find the hen.

(SFX – chook noises)

A: It must be around here somewhere.

B: Here chook, chook, chook…

C: Fee Fi Fo Fum!

Script Seven

A: Can you see anything?

B: No, nothing.

C: I can see something moving this way.

A: Which direction?

D: How fast is it moving? Can you tell what it is?

MIME

· Mime involves no speech and no sound effects (SFX)

· Actions have to be clear so that the audience can understand what is happening.

· Facial expressions are very important.

· The actors must concentrate on what they are doing.

· Teach mime applause.

· Mime topics:

· The weightlifter (1 actor)

· An annoying insect (1 actor)

· Answering the phone (1 actor)

· A singer – country/western, rock, opera, choir member, performer on a children’s show, sexy singer (1 actor)

· Use of a chair – freshly painted, with an upturned drawing pin on it, hot from the sun, something smelly underneath, slippery, a throne, electric chair, covered in oil, etc. (1 actor)

· The knife thrower (2 actors)

· The gun fight (2 actors)

MIME USING A PLOT

(3 actors) (recommended for years 5-7)

Use masking tape and furniture to set up the scene.

There are two adjacent rooms with a connecting door between them. In one room is a singer and a pianist rehearsing. In the next room a shift worker tries to sleep. Finally, the shift worker cannot endure the noise any longer. S/he storms into the neighbouring room and strangles the singer while the pianist escapes through the window.

READERS THEATRE

· Suitable for upper primary when they become too easily embarrassed to perform.

· Readers Theatre requires the students to read from a given script which they are permitted to change in order to follow the requirements set by the teacher.

· Movement around the stage is not necessary.

· Readers are to read from their marked script. Memorisation of the script is not required.

· Readers can stand in a line or be seated for the performance.

SNIPPET WORK

A snippet is a short play you make up yourself.

· Emphasise the need for a beginning, middle and end to the piece of work.

· Don’t over-discuss the idea.

· Limit the number of scenes.

· Limit the number of students in the group.

· Reward groups who plan quickly.

· Be flexible.

· Rules: Face the audience and don’t speak at the same time as someone else.